International Law

Big Malaysian Firm Heads to Australia, 1st Asian Legal Shop to Go There

The biggest law firm in Malaysia is planning to establish a presence in Australia by opening offices in Sydney and Melbourne. The 130-attorney Zaid Ibrahim & Co. is the first Asian firm to receive permission to practice in Australia, according to Bloomberg and the Star. Chairman Datuk Dr Nik Norzrul…

Dec 14, 2009 10:12 PM CST

Kremlin Fires Prison Head, 19 Staff, After Death of Jailed Lawyer

After an investigation into the sudden death last month of a 37-year-old Russian lawyer jailed on tax evasion charges after pointing the finger at claimed government corruption, the Kremlin has fired the head of the Moscow prison system. In a Dec. 4 decree reported by Russian media today, President Dmitry…

Dec 11, 2009 7:15 PM CST

Publication Ban No Proof That Nude Pix of Tiger Woods Exist, His Counsel Says

A British court has banned the publication in Britain of photos or videos showing professional golfer Tiger Woods in the nude or having sex. But, in a letter accompanying a copy of the injunction granted yesterday by the High Court in London, the Schillings law firm representing Woods says that…

Dec 11, 2009 6:35 PM CST

Debevoise Sues to Collect $6M Bill; Client Cites 50 Lawyers, ‘Subpar’ Work

Engaged by a timber company in 2005 to follow up on another law firm’s work and prepare a corporate litigation matter for trial, Debevoise & Plimpton promised in a representation letter to work “as cost-effectively as possible.” But then the firm went ahead with a great deal of duplicative and…

Dec 9, 2009 8:43 PM CST

DLA Piper Downsizes Again in Dubai, Hires Alston Partner to Head Financial Practice Group in D.C.

DLA Piper is laying off seven lawyers and 10 staff members from its offices in the Middle East because of a business slowdown there. Most of the layoffs are in Dubai, reports Legal Week, which also says the international megafirm plans to transfer another 14 individuals, including some partners, to…

Dec 8, 2009 1:11 AM CST

Law Schools Link Up with Foreign Counterparts for Double Qualification

A growing number of law schools are linking up with foreign counterparts to offer students the chance to learn about the law in home and overseas jurisdictions. In the United States, Columbia and Cornell university law schools are partnering with various schools in Europe to offer double qualifications in law…

Dec 2, 2009 5:08 PM CST

Baghdad Law

Tom Donovan’s firm seems to be perched on the rim of the apocalypse. Sandstorms can turn the noonday sky black and knock out the law firm’s connection to a communications satellite. Routine trips outside of Baghdad’s International Zone require a security escort to the tune of $6,000 a day.

Dec 2, 2009 3:39 AM CST

The Long Dubai

Even in the business-friendliest Mideast, arbitration can take forever

Dec 2, 2009 3:19 AM CST

UK Hacker Loses Latest Bid to Fight Extradition to US

A computer hacker who is accused of breaking into U.S. military systems in the wake of 9/11 has lost his latest attempt to forestall extradition to the United States. Gary McKinnon has maintained that the extradition would violate British human rights laws because he is suicidal and suffers from Asperger’s…

Dec 1, 2009 6:19 PM CST

High Court to Hear ‘Profoundly Important Question’ on Reach of Securities Laws

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide the reach of the nation’s securities laws in a shareholder suit against National Australia Bank Ltd. A federal appeals court based in New York City had ruled U.S. courts had no jurisdiction to hear the suit by Australian shareholders, Bloomberg reports. The…

Dec 1, 2009 6:11 PM CST

Beautician Wins Major Property Case for Mom, Gets Law School Scholarship

A 23-year-old beautician with no legal training who made headlines by defeating a big British property developer in a High Court case earlier this month is now headed to law school, with the help of a scholarship. Young, blond and apparently underestimated, Georgina Blackwell saved her mother’s home and business…

Nov 30, 2009 10:40 PM CST

Judge: ‘At Any Time I Can Get Killed’

Being threatened with assassination is a routine part of the job for 70 judges in the northern Iraq city of Mosul. In addition to the death threats that regularly slide under the door, gunshots inside the courthouse and a growing list of deceased colleagues emphasize the daily reality of the…

Nov 30, 2009 8:30 PM CST

Germany Charges Ex-SS Member, 90, in 58 Murders in 1945

Research by an Austrian student and a check of the telephone book led to a murder case against a 90-year-old former SS member. Adolf Storms, a former member of the 5th SS Panzer Division, is accused of playing a role in the March 29, 1945 murder of 57 Jewish forced…

Nov 17, 2009 11:30 PM CST

Chevron Sues Plaintiffs Lawyer for $4M, Alleges Malicious Prosecution

After making headlines several months ago by posting a video on YouTube to bolster its defense of an Ecuador-based environmental mass tort case, Chevron is again trying an unusual litigation tactic in a closely related case. The company has sued a plaintiffs attorney for $4 million in federal court in…

Nov 17, 2009 10:51 PM CST

Russian Lawyer, 37, Dies in Prison After Pursuing Claimed Kremlin Fraud

A Russian lawyer who helped a London-based hedge fund pursue a claimed massive fraud in which Kremlin officials allegedly participated has died in prison, where he was awaiting trial for conspiracy in a related case. Sergei Magnitsky died yesterday at the Matrosskaya Tishina detention center, reports the London Times. The…

Nov 17, 2009 6:47 PM CST